


May the Melody Surround Us

by whatlighttasteslike (waitingforeleven)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, FitzSimmons Secret Santa, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gift Giving, Holidays, Kissing, Light Angst, Making Out, Pining, Shopping Malls, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 21:58:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13152852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitingforeleven/pseuds/whatlighttasteslike
Summary: It’s been three years since Jemma started working as a department store gift wrapper during the holiday season at university - and three years since she met her best friend Fitz. And now, after much preparation, Jemma has a plan to reveal her true feelings for him, hoping to explore a romantic relationship in the new year. But preparations for romance never go according to plan, and Jemma will soon discover that expressing one’s true feelings takes more than playing a simple melody.Written for TFSN's Secret Santa Exchange.





	May the Melody Surround Us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shes_an_oddbird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shes_an_oddbird/gifts).



> This was written for TFSN's Secret Santa Exchange for @shes-an-oddbird on tumblr! You can find the original post on tumblr [here](http://whatlighttasteslike.tumblr.com/post/168968974359/may-the-melody-surround-us-a-fitzsimmons).
> 
> Erica, I had such a wonderful time being your secret santa! Thanks for being so lovely in your messages, and I hope you enjoy your gift! And thank you to @fitzcamebacktome on tumblr for all your help with this! <3
> 
> This story features a holiday mix that Jemma makes for Fitz, which you can listen to on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/user/waitingforeleven/playlist/5KT1sfvGBFJK8VVciG5e6V)!

The jingle of the storefront bell brought a wide smile to Jemma’s face as she finished fastening the golden ribbon between her fingers. Pleased that she had timed herself perfectly, she swiftly placed the small wrapped gift underneath her table for safekeeping, and then stood up on her tiptoes to see the top of Fitz’s head over one of the department store’s aisles.

“Morning Fitz!” she exclaimed.

“Morning Jemma,” he replied, but Jemma could barely make out her name as he seemed to be stifling a rather large yawn. When he made his way to the end of the aisle, she found him in a sleepy state, one he’d worn the last few days of the holiday season.

“Not enough sleep there, I see.”

“Well, it is almost seven in the morning. And yet, you’re already set up for the day.”

“Just wanted to get a few things accomplished before we open,” she explained, discretely nudging the freshly wrapped package further underneath the table with her foot. “You’re cutting it a little short,” she continued as she half glanced at her wristwatch.

“Yeah, well, traffic’s a bloody nightmare this time of year,” he said, unwrapping his scarf with a huff.

“Sure, it is.”

“I’m _serious_.”

“I believe you,” she assured him, holding back a small giggle.

“Alright, enough chatting, places everyone,” Coulson, the department store’s enthusiastic manager, called as he came forward from behind an oversized Christmas tree. “You ready to open the doors, Jemma?”

“Of course, sir.”

“And Fitz, try to sell some of the electronics, don’t just play with them.”

With a slight roll of his eyes, Fitz made his way to his designated part of the store. “Sure thing, boss,” he said, smirking in Jemma’s direction.   

And with the door unlocked and the “Open” sign lit up, the department store filled with a variety of gifts, toys, and holiday essentials became a sea of festive madness - mothers and fathers with their lists and arms full of Christmas necessities, children running up and down the aisles trying out the new toys Fitz had recently stocked after Coulson’s approval, and employees around every corner trying not to lose their poor nerves.

Jemma, a pleasant sight for many shoppers among the near chaos of the department store, greeted every customer with a warm smile as she offered to gift wrap their purchases. She was the best gift wrapper the store had ever employed, or at least, that’s what Coulson told her every year since she started working for him. But Jemma didn’t see it as something to boast about. She knew she excelled at all things seasonal because of her many years helping her father turn their English home into a winter wonderland. While he did most of the heavy lifting, Jemma wrapped the gifts and decorated the tree, adding more and more detail with each passing year. Eventually, her father let her be to handle the decorating herself, but over the last few years, she unfortunately was unable to carry on their holiday tradition due to her studies in the States. But even without a home to decorate, Jemma was still able to find joy in helping her customers turn simple gifts into beautiful wonders anyone would be pleased to open on Christmas morning.

As Jemma said goodbye to a family stocking up on holiday jumpers, a local mother of two stopped by Jemma’s station to place two boxed drones on the table, a purchase clearly made possible by Fitz and his enthusiastic demonstration.

“What a find!” Jemma exclaimed. “Fitz was so pleased to start selling these guys.”

“I don’t know what the boys like anymore,” the woman explained, “so hopefully these will entertain them for a while.”

“I’m sure they will.” Jemma, a diligent gift wrapper, carefully trimmed the edges of the wrapping paper to just the right size and began fastening it into place around the first box.

“Are you staying here for the holidays, dear?” the woman asked.

Jemma’s smile widened as she looked up from her work. “Oh, I’ll be on a flight home tomorrow right at the end of my shift. I wouldn’t miss a Christmas at home.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.”

In under two minutes flat, Jemma produced the neatly wrapped gifts for the woman after finishing them both off with bows of curled ribbon. “Here we are.”

“Oh, you are such a marvel at that, a true lifesaver for someone like me.”

“Aw, thank you.”

“Don’t work too hard, now.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure of that. And have a wonderful holiday!”

If Jemma was being completely honest, she didn’t actually mind working the long hours during the holiday season, especially if it meant she got to spend most of the time with Fitz. Because he attended the rival university thirty miles away from hers, they didn’t get to see each other nearly as much as she would like throughout the year. So, their tradition of working together every holiday season in the mall’s department store – located at the midpoint between their universities - was what truly got Jemma through her studies and the heartache that came with being so far from home.

She still distinctly remembered the day they met three years ago – both of them eager freshmen looking to make some quick cash before the new year. Quite an oddbird among her peers at university, Jemma was grateful to form a connection with someone like Fitz. Besides his similar shy demeanor, Jemma was instantly drawn to him for his knowledge of electronics and sweet personality, and Fitz, fascinated by her work in her university’s biochem lab, seemed to be drawn to her just the same, which eventually resulted in an easy friendship between the two of them. It took them a little while to feel comfortable with one another, neither of them the most forthcoming in sharing personal details about their lives or feelings, but once they got to talking, they realized how lucky they were to forge such a friendship. Unfortunately, with the distance of their universities and their hectic course schedules, they never got to spend much time together outside of the store.

It was now the third year in a row where Jemma felt a certain flutter in her stomach whenever she saw him, his cheeky smiles and infectious laughter never failing to lighten her mood on the shop floor. She used to attribute these feelings to just missing him for so long in between seasons, but this year, she understood them completely – she wanted something more than friendship, and she would keep kicking herself if she didn’t do something about it.

But she still couldn’t decipher how he felt about her. Sure, he was always so pleased to see her every morning despite the early work hours, and he somehow always managed to convince Coulson to schedule their lunch breaks at the same time so they could catch up at the café down the road, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was interested in her romantically. But despite the risk of him not feeling the same way, she knew she couldn’t spend any more time doing nothing about her own feelings.

And so, she developed a plan. A rather perfect one, if she thought so herself, involving a gift she hoped would show him how she truly felt about him. And with her timing in getting it neatly gift wrapped before he arrived that morning, Jemma had a feeling her plan would pan out swimmingly.

Nearly bursting with energy after another kind interaction with a group of customers, Jemma tapped her foot to the music playing from the store’s overhead speaker, wanting to relish every moment in the store before traveling back to England the next day on Christmas Eve. Fitz, on the other hand, walked over to her station in between customers looking even more exhausted than he did when he arrived.

“Can you believe this?” he asked, leaning against her table. “Fourth time today having to listen to this god-awful Michael Bublé holiday album.” Through a heavy sigh, he dragged a hand down his face.

Jemma tilted her head and smirked. “Fitz, it’s not awful. People love it, and it gets them in the holiday spirit.”

“Yes, well, cheery music tends to do the exact opposite for me, I guess.”

“What would you prefer? Something to put you to sleep?” she teased.

He raised up his hands in defeat. “I don’t know. Something better than this.”

Jemma chuckled and glanced down at the gift hidden at her feet. Because little did he know that he would have exactly that to look forward to on Christmas Eve.

It was the perfect gift – well, inside her head, it was – a mix CD of Christmas songs picked out just for him. She’d even constructed the case out of cardboard, folding it meticulously so that it opened to reveal the CD resting in a winter landscape she’d painted herself. But beyond the gift being the centerpiece of her attempt at a romantic gesture, Jemma also determined exactly when and how to give him his gift, hoping her preparations would result in the ultimate romantic experience. Precisely, her plan involved three distinct steps.

First, she would give him the gift on Christmas Eve. She didn’t want to drop a bomb of her feelings on him right before she left for England, as she didn’t quite excel at putting her personal thoughts into words, her endless nerves always getting in the way, so she decided a personalized gift would subtly express to him how much he meant to her through songs.

Then she would leave for her flight home to Sheffield. The clever girl that she was, she calculated from past romantic experiences – scarce as they were – that a solid week of separation would be enough time for him to think over his own feelings. Sure, there was the possibility that he didn’t feel anything romantic, but something in her gut told her that maybe he was just as terrified to express his feelings as she was. And with the week apart from each other, it would give them enough time to think up exactly what to say.

Of course, the last step of her plan was to return to the States and reunite with her best friend. And once she returned, with a new year ahead of them full of possibilities, she hoped with nearly everything in her being that they could explore a relationship together in the new year. This was the part she looked forward to the most, even though it made her anxious just thinking about it. Sharing her true feelings would take more courage than she thought she had inside her, but maybe words wouldn’t even be necessary and he would sweep her off her feet when he picked her up from the airport – the girl could dream.

 

 

\-----

 

 

With the steady stream of holiday shoppers, the day passed much quicker than Jemma anticipated, and before long, she began to count down the final hour of her shift. During a small break in the heavy traffic while Jemma enjoyed herself by watching the children in the toy area discover the store’s greatest treasures, Fitz made his way over to her station and collapsed into the seat next to hers, letting out a dramatic sigh. Reaching forward, he caught the end of some curled ribbon to twirl around his finger.

“What. A. Day,” he uttered, slouching further into his chair.

Jemma smiled sweetly, nudging his arm with her elbow. “I see you were rather successful with the new drones.”

“Yeah, I think they were a big hit. Managed to convince Mrs. Henderson into getting two for her sons. Little does she know that they have ten different flight settings and Bluetooth technology.” The ribbon around his finger was now unraveling from the spool, so Jemma gently smacked his wrist. He released the ribbon with a chuckle and helped her wind it back into place.

“Ah, yes,” she continued. “As if her sons weren’t enough of a handful already. Now they have drones.”

“I’m sure they’ll get on fine.” A beat passed as he watched her straighten her collection of ribbon, and then he stretched his arm out in front of her to display his wristwatch, tapping on the face with his index finger. “Less than 24 hours, now. Are you excited to go home? I’m sure your family misses you.”

“Oh, yes,” she replied, leaning back in her chair, her hands falling neatly in her lap. “I’ll be thrilled to see everyone, as well as the house. And your mum is coming here, correct?”

“Not ‘til after New Year’s, but yeah. I’ll see her soon.”

“That’s good,” she replied, smiling softly as she thought of the kind woman. “I’m sure she misses you terribly.”

“Yeah, definitely. Calls enough times to remind me.” He then turned in his chair to lean his elbow on the table and rest his head in his hand. “What do you miss most about home?” he asked quietly.

Jemma bit her lip through her smile. “Honestly? My cats.”

Fitz chuckled lightly. “That’s nice,” he said through a sigh. “I wish we had cats. Mum’s allergic, unfortunately.”

“Aw, that’s awful,” Jemma said frowning. “But as much as I love them, they are mischievous ones, that’s for sure. Always getting into places they’re not supposed to. Maybe…” she mumbled, clearing her throat as an appealing thought suddenly entered her mind, “you could meet them one day.” Hoping to downplay her comment as much as possible, Jemma busied herself by folding up a few scraps of wrapping paper.

Fitz stayed silent for a few seconds, but Jemma could already sense him eyeing her with a bright expression. “Yeah, I’d like that,” he finally said.

Suppressing a ridiculous smile, she turned her head to meet his eyes, but her gaze immediately shifted over his shoulder, distracted by a customer inspecting a nearby display of holiday decorations. One of the store’s overhead lights reflected off the glass of the snow globe in the woman’s hand, showcasing the globe’s swirling snow and glitter, and Jemma sighed contently.

Fitz turned his head in a similar direction. “Still eyeing the snow globes, I see,” he said as he turned back to Jemma.

Her eyes still glowed in admiration, but she forced her attention back to her friend. “What? I’m allowed to admire the little things. And they’re all so pretty.”

“That they are, Simmons. That they are.” Patting his hand against the table a few times, he pushed himself from his chair and stretched his arms above his head, Jemma trying her best to keep her eyes from lingering on the inch of skin now visible as his jumper crept upwards. “Well, Coulson said I’m good to go home a little early,” he said as he lowered his arms back down.

“Oh, really?” she inquired as she looked up, her lip curling into a subtle grin. “Lucky, you.”

“Got some things I’m working on,” he explained, gesturing over his shoulder vaguely towards his area of the sales floor. “Last minute shopping, that kind of thing.”

Jemma’s smile widened. “You do have a knack for leaving things to the last minute.”

“Some things take _time_ , Simmons.”

“I won’t keep you, then.”

Before turning to leave, he reached forward and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Have a good night. See you tomorrow?”

“Where else would I be?”

A small smile filled his face, bringing a new light to his eyes. Giving her a slight nod, he squeezed her shoulder before letting go. “Alright, then.” As he straightened up and made his way towards the exit, Jemma exhaled slowly, already thinking of the next day and how it could possibly be their last day together before a spark was ignited into something more.

Once he was out of sight, Jemma turned in her chair back towards her work station but found she couldn’t concentrate of her previous task, too distracted by the lingering sensation of his hand on her shoulder. It wasn’t foreign for them to engage in friendly touches here and there, but with the anticipation building for what could ultimately be the next step in their relationship, Jemma felt a new warmth in her stomach from the gesture. And with that warmth came a fire of excitement that in less than 24 hours, she would finally set her plan in motion.

It wasn’t until the last ten minutes of her shift that the feeling finally disappeared when she was pulled back into reality by her coworker Elena. As Jemma cleaned up her gift-wrapping station for the night, storing her scissors, tape, and leftover gift tags in her personalized toolbox, nearly daydreaming her way through her actions as her thoughts continued to drift to her best friend, the woman nudged Jemma’s arm.

“Hey, your phone keeps going off.”

Jemma glanced to her phone where it was stashed in the corner of her station, seeing the screen lighting up as it displayed multiple notifications. “Oh, thank you!” As she leaned out of her chair to retrieve it, she assumed the messages were from her mother, maybe sending along a last-minute checklist for her trip. But once she cradled her phone in her hands, her face fell as she realized the messages were nothing of the sort.

“No, no, no,” she murmured as she pressed her fingers to her lips.

The first message was not from her mother, but from the airline, telling her that severe weather had delayed her flight home by several hours. The next message was indeed from her mother, asking for her daughter to call her immediately. A delayed flight wasn’t the end of the world, but unfortunately, that message was sent to her hours ago. The most recent message regretfully informed her that her flight had been canceled, along with vague instructions about how to find an alternative flight.

Jemma looked up from her phone, hoping her coworker didn’t notice the distress behind her eyes. “Elena, can you cover for me?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Marching toward the back of the store while scrolling through her contacts, she frantically dialed her mother’s number, who picked up after the second ring.

“Jemma?”

“Mum, what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, love. I’ve been on the phone with the airline all day and there’s nothing flying out because of the storm.”

“But Mum, what am I supposed—“

“But I promise you, once the storm has passed, your father will come and fetch you if that’s what it will take to get you home.”

Jemma’s breath shuddered as she exhaled. “Right, I understand.”

“I know you were looking forward to this weekend with your studies being so strenuous this term. And your father worked so hard on the tree and the decorations; you would be so proud.”

“Yeah, I…” she paused to clear her throat, feeling her voice already wavering. “I’m sure I would.”

“I’ll have to take a picture and send it to you. But I’m sure you’ll find other plans, won’t you? Aren’t there some students staying in town? What about that boy you speak so often about?”

“Fitz? Ah, I don’t know. I think he has other plans.”

“Well, keep your chin up. It will work out in the end. And I promise we’ll see each other soon.”

“I know, Mum.”

“Oh, your brother is on the other line. I’ll talk to you again soon. Be careful down there.”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Bye, Mum.”

After hanging up, Jemma couldn’t fight her lip from quivering as she lowered herself down heavily onto the bench outside the break room door, letting her phone tumble down next to her. She brought her knees up to her chin and circled her arms around herself, no longer fighting the tears from streaming down her face. Even through winter storms, missed connections, and other near catastrophes, Jemma always managed to find her way home for the holidays. But this year, she knew she simply ran out of luck.

It took Jemma a few moments of weeping quietly into her jumper’s sleeve before she sadly accepted that she wouldn’t be across the Atlantic in the next 24 hours. After she settled down and took in a few deep breaths when her tears finally ceased, she couldn’t keep her thoughts from Fitz. She was honest with her mother on the phone – she didn’t know exactly what his plans were for Christmas Eve. She did remember him telling her about some party he was planning to attend with his friend Hunter, but beyond that, the details were foggy.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized her shift had already ended a few minutes ago, so she pushed herself up from the bench to retrieve her belongings from the break room and head back to her apartment, hoping to let her mind rest for the evening. But as she adjusted her gloves and searched for her keys at the bottom of her bag, her fingers landed on the thin rectangular gift stashed there for safekeeping. Her emotions were running high from her call with her mother, so she nearly forgot about her plan to give Fitz his gift. As she pulled the gift free from her bag, an even heavier sadness quickly rushed through her, causing her eyes to well up once more. Because without the week of separation after giving him his gift, without the time needed to think of what to say to each other, and most importantly, without a joyous reunion at the airport – it seemed that her trip home wasn’t the only thing that had just fallen to pieces.

 

 

\-----

 

 

Jemma spent much of the night before her Christmas Eve shift weighing her options as to how she could spend her evening now that she wasn’t going home to England. She didn’t socialize with anyone from the rival university other than Fitz, so the idea of attending Hunter’s holiday party full of unfamiliar faces sounded more dreadful than cheerful. And the mix of cheap beer, peppermint schnapps, and drunken coeds didn’t sound appealing compared to her more preferred holiday festivities – peppermint tea, warm jumpers, and time spent with her loved ones. Still, Jemma knew that despite her failed plans of flying home, she could still use her time productively. Even though the university library was closed, she still hadn’t returned all of her books, which weren’t due until after New Year’s. Some light reading wouldn’t be the worst spent evening, and there was bound to be a convenience store close by that sold peppermint tea. But just when she thought she’d settled on how she would spend her evening, a new idea arose once she saw her manager round his usual corner of the store, looking more flustered than usual.

When he was in earshot of her station, she stood up from her chair. “Are you alright, sir?”

Coulson wiped his forehead and sighed. “I’m fine. It’s just Christmas Eve. You know how things go. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m...” Jemma tried her best to force a smile, but she knew from Coulson’s concerned face that he could see right through it. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“Did something happen?”

Jemma took in a slow breath and shrugged. “Turns out I can’t make it home after all. But I’ll be alright. I’ll get there eventually. Maybe after New Year’s.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” he replied, shaking his head. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Jemma waved his question off with her hand. “Oh, no. Thank you, though. My parents are taking care of it. But I was thinking…” She lowered her head and paused for a moment to consider what she was about to offer.

“Yes?”

Looking back up, she met his eyes with a bright expression. “I’m sure you would love to head home early tonight, so why don’t I close up the store for you instead?”

“Jemma, I couldn’t ask you to do—“

“Please, I really don’t mind. You should spend time with your family. I’ll be fine to close up on my own.”

Jemma watched as he considered her offer, and through his exhaustion and stress from the last few weeks of running the often overcrowded department store, she knew the chance the spend more time with his family would be difficult for him to pass up.

After a moment of thought, he met her eyes. “Are you sure? I can ask someone to stay with you.”

Jemma shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. I promise.”

Coulson gave her a single nod. “Well, alright, then. I’ll give you the keys and the closing checklist before I leave.”

“Thank you, sir.”

A moment later, the “Open” sign was lit up and customers were already filing into the store, but Jemma didn’t feel her usual thrill from seeing the store so busy.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Elena asked as Jemma slumped in her chair.

“I’m fine. Let’s just get this day over with.”

Despite the heavy traffic of shoppers rushing in to find last minutes gifts, the hours seemed to stand still as Jemma worked her gift-wrapping magic for the customers. As much as she tried to keep up her usual cheerful disposition, it wasn’t enough for some customers to take notice of her dampened mood. Instead of happily engaging in her usual friendly chatter with each new customer, she found herself wrapping their gifts in silence, only offering a simple “Happy Holidays” once she handed over their pristinely wrapped presents. Even the sight of Fitz a few meters away, still on top of his game in demonstrating the store’s latest gadgets, didn’t lift her spirits. It only made her heart ache even more.

The night before, beyond thinking about how to spend her evening, Jemma also pondered whether she should even give Fitz his gift. With only a day left before Christmas, Fitz probably didn’t get her anything for the holiday, which was fine by her considering their tradition of not exchanging gifts. Even though she put a lot of thought and time into his gift, she didn’t want him to feel horrible for not getting her anything. And without the prospect of a reunion after she returned from England, her entire plan to share her feelings with him now felt a bit silly inside her head. She didn’t completely rule out giving it to him, but any thoughts about his gift simply reminded her of how her holiday plans were in ruins.

She tried her best to ignore these thoughts while she worked, but found she was even more distracted by them when she saw an unfamiliar face approach Fitz’s gadget station, greeting him cheerfully with an extended hug.

“Elena?” Jemma asked as she leaned towards the cash register at her left, “who is that?”

“I think her name is Daisy?” Elena said through a shrug. “I don’t know her; I just know she goes to college with Fitz.”

“Ah.”

Turning back to her station, Jemma couldn’t hear their conversation from so far away, but she knew Fitz was entertained by whatever this Daisy person was saying, his head falling back as he fought back laughter. Once he’d recovered, Daisy seemed to be teasing him about something as she began to laugh herself, leaning on his shoulder and swatting at him playfully.  

Jemma cleared her throat and lowered her head. “Well, they’re sure having a good time,” she muttered to herself.

Keeping her head down to concentrate on untangling some stubborn ribbon, she glanced up and found Daisy now sporting one of the store’s reindeer antler headbands, which Fitz was adjusting on her head. Daisy continued to giggle as Fitz shook his head at her, his hands now on his hips.

Suddenly feeling the need for some air, Jemma scooted out of her chair. “I’ll be right back,” she told Elena before making her way to the break room. When the door swung shut behind her and she felt like she could breathe again, she slumped down into one of the chairs and closed her eyes. She could still faintly hear the commotion of the sales floor and the stereo’s music, but the separation from all the hectic activity was almost soothing.

But then after a few moments, the quiet had a near opposite effect as she was alone with her thoughts, and Jemma could feel a new wave of sadness washing over her. She knew she was being ridiculous. She wasn’t jealous of Daisy by any means, whom she figured was just a close friend of Fitz she didn’t know about – it was more so Daisy’s happiness that pushed Jemma to the edge. All she wanted to feel was that same uninhibited joy that came with the holiday season, but no matter how hard she tried to keep her spirits high, her soiled plans were preventing that from happening.

With her emotions running high, Jemma massaged her temples as she tried to get a grasp on her thoughts, unable to keep her mind from focusing on one thing, or one person as it were. Before she could stop herself, she pushed herself from her chair and walked towards her locker to pull out her bag. Through a heavy sigh, she found the gift at the bottom, cradling it between her hands. As she felt the weight of the gift – both physically and emotionally - she found herself glancing at Fitz’s locker, the one directly below hers. The masking tape with his name scrawled across it was starting to peel back, so Jemma instinctively reached forward to press it back into place. The simple motion brought her back to that first year of working together - the ease of their conversations, the sweet effortlessness of their friendship. And now, standing there with her heart in her stomach, she couldn’t keep herself from thinking about how it was so much simpler when she didn’t understand her true feelings for him.

After taking in a shuddering breath, she took one last look at the gift, shoved it back into her locker, and then slammed the door shut.

Much to her relief, Coulson didn’t schedule her and Fitz’s lunch breaks at the same time that day, so it wasn’t for another few hours before she saw him again as he made his way over to her gift-wrapping station, a hand behind his back. When he reached the table, his warm expression nearly sent Jemma’s heart into a frenzy.

“Hey, I know there’s a break in the line, so I’m sure this is the last thing you want to do, but could you, um…”

Jemma raised her eyebrows as she waited for him to finish his sentence, hoping she was masking her true feelings well enough for him not to take notice.

“Is there any way you could wrap something for me?” He moved his hand from behind his back to reveal a simple cardboard box, which provided no details as to its contents.

“Oh,” Jemma said simply. “Of course.”

“Great! And careful, it’s a bit heavy. And fragile.”

Jemma took the box and examined it on all sides. “Do I want to know what’s inside?”

Fitz opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to struggle to form a response. He then shook his head and half shrugged. “Nah, probably not.”

“Okay. May I ask who it’s for, then?” she inquired, surprising herself with her boldness.

Jemma watched him gulp before he tried to stutter out a reply. “Uh, it’s for someone. Someone…”

“Special?” Jemma finished for him. He nodded slowly and put his hands in his pockets. “Ah, of course. Well, I’m sure whoever it’s for, they’ll probably love it. Whatever it is.”

“Right. I hope so.”

Bending beneath the table to gather her supplies, she pulled out a sheet of her favorite wrapping paper – the shiny red one with the snowflake pattern – and spread it out onto her wrapping surface. Carefully, she placed the small package at the center of the paper and measured precisely how much she needed to trim off the edges.

“You have quite the system there.”

“Yes, well, that’s what three years on the job will do.”

Jemma pulled in her lips to keep herself from being short with him. He didn’t know about her canceled flight or her emotional state, and she hoped to keep it that way. She didn’t want to dampen his own good spirits simply because she was upset, knowing he would likely take on her anguish as his own. So instead of trying to keep up with a forced cheerful conversation, she focused all her attention on wrapping the gift as perfectly as possible. Even though she had gift wrapping down to a near science of precision and efficiency, while wrapping Fitz’s gift, she didn’t focus so much on speed. Instead, she paid particular attention to completing each of her movements with care, and felt a hint of satisfaction in making him wait a bit longer than the average customer. But he didn’t seem to mind, watching her in awe as she turned the simple box into a festive sight.

Once the box was wrapped in paper, Jemma pulled out her spools of ribbon and displayed them in front of her friend. “Red or gold?” she asked.

Fitz brought his hand up to his chin. “Uh, you pick.”

Giving him a slight smile, she picked her favorite and began unraveling it from the spool. “Gold, it is.” Having wrapped similarly shaped boxes countless times in the past, she knew exactly how to place the ribbon in order to achieve a perfect bow on top, but for some reason, this time she couldn’t quite get the ribbon to line up properly or stay in place long enough to finish the knot. After a few more seconds of struggling, she noticed Fitz reaching his hand forward towards the top of the box.

“Do you want me to—“

“Yes, that would be helpful.” Pulling on his hand, she placed his finger at the intersection of the ribbon and pressed down so she could easily finish tying the bow. But before she pulled away to grab the ends of the ribbon, she let her hand rest on his for just a second longer, savoring the contact for as long as possible. Hoping he wouldn’t notice her slight pause, she quickly let go and resumed her work in tying the ribbon, carefully looping it into a bow and avoiding snagging his finger in the process. “That’s better,” she whispered, her eyes lingering on Fitz’s hand as he brought it back to his side.

She finished off her wrapping job by curling the ends of the ribbon and tying on a few extra curls to add volume to the bow. Once she was satisfied, she reached into her toolbox to find a matching gift tag. “See, you can personalize this, and then attach it to this ribbon right here,” she explained.

“Oh, fantastic.” When he took the tag from her, he held it in his hand for a moment, looking almost puzzled as to what to do next.

Jemma raised her eyebrows. “You don’t have to fill it out here.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“If you need some….”

“Maybe, I’ll just go over…” he mumbled, gesturing over his shoulder.

“…privacy,” she finished under her breath.

Pressing his lips together, he gave her a single nod. “Yeah, I’ll probably do that.” He looked like he was about to do just that as he picked up the gift box, but then he surprised her by setting the box back down and reaching forward instead, placing his hand on top of hers where it rested on the table. “Thank you. Seriously, you’re amazing.”

Jemma’s mouth twitched as she stared at his hand, the feeling of his skin against hers a familiar and welcome sensation she never took for granted. When he squeezed her hand gingerly, she closed her eyes, memorizing the feeling before he eventually turned to leave. “You’re welcome,” she uttered through a half smile, even though she truly felt on the verge of tears.

 

 

\-----

 

 

Jemma didn’t see Fitz on the sales floor for the next few hours, and she hoped he would leave the store before he noticed that she was staying late. But, of course, with him being the great friend that he was, she saw him approaching her table at the end of his shift, already wrapped in his coat and scarf. He wore a wide smile on his face and clutched the recently wrapped gift box firmly between his hands, but when he saw her still at work, his eyes narrowed.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to leave?” he asked once he reached her table.

Jemma shook her head. “I guess I forgot to tell you. I’m closing the store up for Coulson that way he can head out early.”

“What happened to your flight? I thought—”

“It got canceled, unfortunately. And you know how these things go. No more flights this last minute. But it’s alright, I’ll Facetime my parents tomorrow, maybe head out there after New Year’s.” Tugging on the sleeve of her jumper, she sighed. “Or something,” she added, her voice falling on her last word.

“Wow, I’m-I’m so sorry. I wish you would have…” He trailed off with a slight shake of his head. “Well, Hunter is having his Christmas party at his apartment. Maybe if you wanted to, you could stop by.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I’m not really one for parties of that sort.”

For a moment, Fitz just looked at her, his mouth agape, and then he slowly nodded his head. “Okay, but are you sure you don’t need any help? I could stick around and—“

“No, Fitz, I’ll be fine,” she pleaded, shaking her head. “You worked all day, and I’m sure your friends are waiting for you.” She could feel her fake smile fading, and not wanting him to see her expression, she looked down. But she could still feel his gaze on her as she twisted her fingers in her lap.

“Oh,” she heard him utter softly. “Okay. I’ll see you later… then.”

Jemma looked up to watch him leave, but before he turned towards the door, he pulled on the strap on his backpack so he could unzip the top pocket, and then stuffed the gift box inside. After giving her a final wave, he slung the bag back over his shoulder and hurried out into the cold.  

The last hour of her shift was a blur, most shoppers stopping by for only greeting cards or last-minute stocking stuffers that didn’t require wrapping, so Jemma spent much of her time organizing her toolbox. She realized it didn’t really matter. With the holiday season coming to an end, her services would no longer be needed on the sales floor. She remembered this feeling from the last few years, the bittersweet moment of the end of her holiday, yet relishing in the promise of a new year.

But this year, she didn’t feel that same eagerness to tackle whatever the world brought her after the holiday season because, yet again, she let herself pass up an opportunity to explore a romantic relationship with Fitz. She knew it was rotten luck that her holiday plans crumbled before her eyes, but she also knew it was mostly her own doing. Instead of pushing forward and putting herself out there, she still couldn’t tackle her fear of sharing her feelings with him, which made her heart sink. He was the easiest person to talk to and the best listener, and yet, whenever she even thought of revealing her true feelings, her mind and body seemed to freeze over, preventing her from even thinking about what she would say to him. And she knew deep down that she could technically still give him his gift, but with him already having left the store and the holiday quickly coming to an end, she decided it was best to let the idea go. And maybe, she thought, this was the universe telling her that they were better off as just friends.

As promised, Coulson stopped by her work area a few minutes before closing to give her the keys and closing checklist, thanking her again for her generosity. After waving goodbye to him through the glass storefront when the store officially closed, Jemma locked the front door and let out a long sigh. At last, a quiet peace filled the store, and Jemma returned to her station, slouching in her chair to take a short breather before she started with the cleaning duties. Judging by the length of the checklist, she calculated that she could finish everything within an hour or so, and the isolation and lack of distractions would help her get things done quicker, anyway.

Except for the fact that her peace and quiet was quickly interrupted by a set of keys loudly tapping on the glass of the front entrance door.

The sudden sound nearly startled her out of her chair, but she caught herself by gripping the edge of the table. The rapping failed to cease, so she stood up from her chair and craned her neck to see the store’s front window. “What on earth?”

She couldn’t make out the figure, but she assumed it was a desperate customer needing an emergency gift – maybe even for a significant other. But Jemma had little pity for whoever the poor soul was, so she marched to the front of the store and motioned toward the switched off “Open” sign. “We’re closed! Can’t you read the sign?”

But it wasn’t a customer on the other end of the door. Instead, the shivering form peeking through the glass storefront, a slight dusting of snow resting on his shoulders and the ends of his hair, was Fitz. He used his car key to continue to rap against the surface until he caught sight of her through the fogged over window and gestured for her to unlock the door.

At the sight of him, his usual rosy cheeks now tinged an intense scarlet from the chill, Jemma quickly rummaged into her pocket to retrieve the store key and jiggled it into the lock. The pressure of his hand against the door swung it dramatically open once it was unlocked, and he stumbled inside and closed the door behind him.

Once he was safely inside, Jemma rushed forward to brush the snow off his coat. “Fitz, what are you doing here?”

“Okay, so, I don’t actually have any plans for tonight, and I know you said you could close the store by yourself,” he quickly rambled on, “but if I _helped_ you, we could get out of here in a much shorter amount of time.” He shook his head to rid his curls of any stray snowflakes.

“Fitz, slow down. What?”

“I’m here to help you. It’ll be faster with the two of us.”

She bit her lip, unable to deny his logic, and shrugged. “I guess that’s true.”

“And then maybe…” he trailed off to continue to catch his breath. Unwrapping his scarf and throwing it at his side, he sighed and pointed between the two of them.  “Maybe we could do something after?”

Jemma swallowed the rather large lump in her throat and shifted her gaze to the floor before meeting his eyes again. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Watch a film? Or something…?” He reached up the pinch the bridge of his nose. “I’m rubbish at making plans, but it’s–it’s better than being alone.”

“Um…” Jemma mumbled.

“If you want to, of course.”

She didn’t know what to say, still too stunned from him simply standing in front of her.

When she didn’t respond for a few seconds, he sighed. “Look, I know it’s probably not how you pictured your Christmas, and there aren’t even any decorations in my apartment, but...” he trailed off again, but this time, he turned on his heel and began looking around the store, his eyes suddenly glowing. Placing a hand on his hip, he gestured up toward the garland hanging from the ceiling and let out a single chuckle.

“What is it?” Jemma asked.

“Well, it’s a shame all these decorations have to go to waste.” Giving her a half smile, he raised his eyebrows, clearly waiting for her to catch his meaning.

Still unsure of where his mind was heading, Jemma narrowed her eyes. “What are you saying?”

“What I’m saying is that the store is closed and it technically won’t reopen until December 26th.”

“Right, but—“

“Which means there won’t be anyone here to know that the decorations were even gone in the first place. And an entire day is plenty of time to return everything back to its place.” Jemma opened her mouth to respond, but Fitz lifted his hand up to stop her. “And you have the keys, so technically, we’re not even stealing. We’re just borrowing.”

“Yes, but borrowing without permission!”

“Yes, but you’re the one who wanted Coulson to have a peaceful Christmas with his family,” he replied, “so calling him up to get permission would just ruin that.”

Jemma pressed her lips into a line as she considered his idea. As much as she hated to admit, he was right on all fronts. And even if they did return the decorations in their perfect condition before anyone returned to the store, they would be taking them down anyway to reopen for the new year. Still, she wasn’t fond of breaking the rules, especially when Coulson trusted her with the store.

As she contemplated whether to take him up on his idea, Fitz slowly moved towards her, and then placed his hands on her shoulders. “He won’t find out. And if he does, I’ll say it was my idea. And plus, what’s the big deal? We can’t sell this stuff at full price anyway.”

Even though he was clearly letting her decide, at this close distance, Jemma could see the hope behind his eyes. It was the most daring idea he’d ever suggested, even if it wasn’t technically stealing. But most importantly, here he was asking her to spend Christmas Eve with him – alone. The very thought made her heart race inside her chest, and it took everything inside her not to rush forward to tackle him in a fierce embrace.

Before she could even think to change her mind, Jemma sighed. “Okay, fine. But just the garland and a few snow globes.”

“Oh, no,” he said, striding past her towards the aisles. “We’re taking everything. Including a tree.”

“What?!” she exclaimed, spinning around.

“If we’re gonna take anything,” he said as he walked backwards towards the center aisle of the store, “it has to be a tree.” He stopped when he found what he was looking for – one of smaller pre-lit trees that lacked any ornaments and was often neglected by customers. “What’s Christmas without a bloody tree? And this guy deserves a home.”

Jemma shook her head, but looked between Fitz and the tree with a wide grin. “You’re ridiculous.”

“No, I’m getting into the holiday spirit, that’s what. Now, just because this is my idea doesn’t mean I’m going to do this by myself. Get to work, Simmons.”

“Alright, alright.” She shuffled past him to start collecting her most sought-after decorations, nearly beaming from her joy as Fitz began to pull the tree from its place on display. And with her spirits already lifted, Jemma suddenly felt the urge to take advantage of the empty store and boost their holiday spirit even more. Before Fitz could notice, she raced to the back of the store and turned on the stereo system, turning up the volume three notches higher than its usual level during store hours. At the sound of the first few bars of the blasting holiday music, Jemma heard a familiar groan from the center aisle.

“Oh, Christ, not this again!”

“You said you’re getting into the holiday spirit!” Jemma shouted, making her way back towards her friend. “I’m simply helping you along. And don’t you think it’s a bit much to put the Lord’s name in vain on Christmas Eve, Fitz?”

“Well, if Jesus had to listen to this for the last three weeks straight, I think he would understand.”

When she returned to his side, Jemma gave him an exaggerated frown and slumped her shoulders.

Fitz shook his head. “Fine. But this is only going to make me work faster so we can get out of here.”

“Perfect,” Jemma replied through a triumphant smile, twirling around herself to begin her search for the perfect decorations for the tree.

It only took about twenty minutes for Jemma to fill nearly a dozen crates of supplies to fill Fitz’s small university apartment with holiday cheer, making sure to stash a few snow globes safely at the bottom. Fitz placed the tree by the front door and spent the rest of the time picking out his own favorite pieces for the apartment, including a stuffed monkey that lit up and sang Christmas carols and a string of Doctor Who Tardis lights.

For a brief moment, while Fitz was distracted in search of Christmas crackers, even though Jemma informed him multiple times that the store didn’t carry them, she slipped away to the break room. Despite her evening already turning out much better than she’d hoped, anxious feelings still stirred in her gut that she knew she needed to overcome before she joined him at his apartment. Approaching her locker, her hands wringing at her sides, she wavered whether to retrieve what she had left there hours ago.

As she stared at her locker, she thought about the joy she felt when she made his gift, carefully constructing the case and painting the inside winter scene in different shades of white, blue, and silver. She also thought about the time she spent writing out the song titles, paying particular attention to how she wrote out his name and how she boldly decided to sign it with “Love, Jemma.” To have put so much care into his gift, a gift that was more than just a thoughtful gesture, she felt strange for even considering the idea of not giving it to him.

But then she heard a loud crash followed by an even louder shout coming from outside the break room, so she abruptly turned to the door to inspect the commotion. When she stuck her head out the doorway, she placed her hand over her mouth to contain her laughter.

Fitz, sprawled out on his arse and holding a glowing blue star tree topper between his hands, was surrounded by bells, tinsel, and an assortment of ornaments that apparently fell off of a nearby display Christmas tree. Without a step stool or ladder in sight, Jemma really didn’t want to know how he managed to retrieve it at such a height. But he didn’t seem to be in distress; instead, he looked quite pleased with himself as he held the star up for her to see.

“Took a bit of work, but we couldn’t leave without getting the best one. This one has five different light settings.”

Biting her lip through her smile, Jemma turned back towards the break room, made a beeline for her locker, and stuffed the gift into her bag.

 

 

\-----

 

 

“Is everything loaded up?” Jemma asked, her shoulders pushed up to her ears as she shivered in the cold night.

Fitz shut the door to the backseat of his small SUV, and then brushed off his gloved hands. “Yeah, I think that’s everything. Except for the tree, of course.”

They both moved around to the back of the vehicle where they’d left the tree on the ground. Kneeling down together, they each grabbed onto the branches and locked eyes.

“Okay, on three. Ready?” Fitz asked.

Jemma nodded and firmly gripped her side of the tree.

“One. Two. Thr—“

“Might I ask what you two think you’re doing at this late hour?”

The tree dropped with a loud _thump_ as the two of them straightened up to face the mall security guard, who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

“Sorry?” Fitz asked, his voice an octave higher than usual. “I mean, of course. We’re just... uh, we’re just…”

“We’re simply getting a head start on moving the holiday decorations from the store.” Jemma looked at Fitz with pointed eyes, hoping he would play along.  

“Is that so?” the security guard inquired.

“We work here, you see?” Jemma rushed forward – nearly slipping in the snow in the process – and pulled out her cardholder from her coat pocket. “I have my ID right here, Officer…” she trailed off to glance at his nameplate. “Davis. As well as the keys to the building.”

He narrowed his eyes. “So, you’re telling me that you’re not lugging this tree out of the store because you’re, I don’t know, pulling some freshman prank or what not?”

“No, sir.”

“Absolutely not,” Fitz added.

The man shifted his eyes between the two of them, and Jemma was almost certain that Fitz was holding his breath.  

After an agonizing few seconds of silence, Jemma trying her best to keep her expression even and eyes bright, the man nodded his head. “Alright, go straight home, then. The temperature’s dropping – wouldn’t want you to get stuck out here. And why don’t I…” He gestured toward the dropped Christmas tree, which was now nearly drenched in snow.

“That would be wonderful,” Jemma said through a wide smile as she darted to the passenger side of the SUV. “Thank you, sir.”  

Fitz nodded his head eagerly, leaning casually against the driver’s side door as the security guard hoisted the tree into the back of the vehicle with ease. “Yes, thank you, officer. Sir. Have a good night. And Merry Christmas!”

“Fitz, come _on_.”

“Right, sorry,” he mumbled, giving the man a final wave before scrambling into the driver’s seat.

Once safely inside, Jemma turned the heat up to max and chuckled. “Do you think he believed us?”

“Not a chance,” Fitz said before hitting the gas and peeling out of the parking lot.

When they made it safely to his apartment, Jemma was rather pleased when Fitz opened the car door for her to make sure she didn’t slip in the snow. Luckily, Fitz lived on the first floor of his complex, so it only took a bit of dragging – and grunting on Fitz’s part – to get the Christmas tree through his front door, but they did manage to drag in a fair amount of snow along the way. Once they got the tree standing up in his living space, Fitz spent the first moments cleaning up the mess while Jemma got to work decorating the tree. She’d made sure to grab as many decorations as possible from the store, knowing Fitz would probably underestimate her love and skill for tree decorating.

“Do you want any help with that?” he asked her as she began unloading her supplies.

“Oh, no. I got it. But you can…” she said as she pulled out the three snow globes from the bottom of a crate, “…spread these around the place – wherever you like.”

“That I can do,” he agreed, taking them carefully in his arms. “And I’ll make tea. What kind would you like?”

“Do you have peppermint?” she asked through a hopeful smile.

“Hmm, I’m not sure— _oh_ , hang on _._ ”

After he set the snow globes down on the coffee table, Jemma watched as he went to his small kitchen and began searching through his pantry. He seemed to find what he was looking for when he pulled a box down from one of the top shelves. Returning to the living room, he displayed the box for Jemma to peer inside. “Here we are. Mum sent over a package – nearly forgot about it.”

“Oh, lovely,” Jemma said as she pulled out a festive mug stuffed with peppermint tea bags.

“Ate all the sweets first,” he explained, scratching behind his neck.

“Naturally.”

While Fitz busied himself making the tea and rummaging through his pantry for any additional sweets – which probably wasn’t a difficult task as he tended to always have sweets on hand wherever he was – Jemma continued to decorate the tree, following her usual routine she used at home. Although the tree was already pre-lit, she decided to string the Tardis lights around the top knowing Fitz would appreciate the addition. And with the rest of the decorations from the store, Jemma didn’t hold back, going all out with popcorn strings, bells, tinsel, and plenty of ornaments. She knew they would unfortunately have to take it all down the next day, but that wasn’t going to stop her from creating her dream Christmas tree, especially if it meant Fitz could admire it for a few short hours.

About fifteen minutes later, with Fitz having kept his distance so she could work in peace, he returned with two steaming mugs and a plate featuring a variety of biscuits and candies. Jemma was still placing the final pieces of tinsel on a few branches, but even without turning around, she could sense Fitz had stopped his in tracks.  

“Wow.”

Jemma tried to suppress her smile as she turned to face him, and when she saw his awestruck expression, she curled her hair innocently behind her ear. “Is it too much?” she asked softly.

“No, it’s… It’s really incredible.”

She shrugged nonchalantly, even though she completely agreed. “I always loved decorating the tree at home. I guess I have a knack for it.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” He continued to marvel at the tree, his eyes moving up and down to take in the entire sight, so Jemma stepped forward to take the tray from his hands. “Oh yeah, sorry,” he mumbled. “Here,” he said, holding out a mug for her, “before it gets cold.”

“Thank you.”

They stood contently sipping their tea and admiring her work, with Fitz picking out his favorite bits here and there, as well as testing the star’s different light settings. Seeing so much wonder on his face, Jemma felt a surge of joy she never thought she’d experience after the trying last few days. But despite the tea and the best company in the world, a fit of nerves still twisted in her stomach every time she glanced in Fitz’s direction. As he inspected one of the snowflake ornaments near the top of the tree, Jemma approached him quietly.

“It really is impress—”

“Can you excuse me for one moment?” Jemma asked before he could finish, the words tumbling off her tongue.

“Wha-yeah. Of course,” he said, taking her mug from her hands.

“Just need to go to the loo.”

“Sure, it’s down the hall on the left.”

After snatching her bag off the sofa, she found her way and closed the door softly behind her. Exhaling slowly, she leaned against the counter of the sink and lowered her chin to her chest.

She knew what she had to do, but that didn’t make it any easier.

On the one hand, she realized her original plan wasn’t completely out of reach anymore. She knew she could still give him his gift and enjoy the rest of the night wondering how long it would take him to listen to the songs and realize what he meant to her. Maybe he’d be in his car on his way to a shift at the department store, and the last track would play and it would hit him out of nowhere that this was her way of telling him that she wanted more. Or maybe it would only take reading the track names for him to understand that she wanted to spend New Year’s and hopefully many more days with him.

But somehow, standing in his apartment on Christmas Eve, the gift still stuffed at the bottom of her bag out of sight, it made her realize the flaw in her plan from the beginning - that hoping for him to interpret her feelings through a gift was a bit of a long shot. Sure, he was as clever as can be, and in the past, he could usually sense when she was upset or lonely, or when she was in the best of spirits. But if the last few years were any indication, he wasn’t that bright when it came to understanding her romantic feelings, or flirting for that matter. So, the last thing he needed was a riddle of sorts for him to realize that she saw him as more than a friend.

She was never forthcoming with her feelings, especially romantic ones, so the thought of telling him directly how she felt was still next to terrifying. But this was Fitz – the boy who never failed to make her smile even during the longest days of the season, the boy who listened for hours as she rambled on about chem lab, the boy who she couldn’t imagine her life without. And instead of going to the party at Hunter’s, instead of listening to her insist that she could close the store on her own, instead of leaving her alone on Christmas Eve, he invited her here. It was still a risk – he might not feel the same way, and with everything he’d done for her that night, she didn’t want to spoil the mood. But she knew that if she didn’t tell him now, she probably never would.

After taking in another steady breath, she looked up toward the mirror. “You can do this,” she uttered to herself. Through a smile, she placed her bag on the counter and pulled out the gift, still in its near perfectly wrapped condition. She adjusted the ribbon where it had gone crooked, slung her bag on her shoulder with a nod, and then turned to make her way back to the living room.

When she turned the corner, the gift hidden behind her back, Fitz was sitting on the sofa flipping through his TV with the remote.

“Pulled up a list of movies. I don’t know what you’re in the mood for.”

“Anything’s fine,” she answered, standing awkwardly in front of him as she waited for him to look at her.  

“Are you sure?” he asked, his eyes still on the screen. “There’s a lot to choose from.”

“Fitz.”

“Hmm?”

“I have something for you.”

He finally met her eyes, and then he looked down to where she held her hands behind her back. “Oh. Jemma, you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Fitz, please. And I didn’t get it, technically.” His eyebrows raised in confusion, so Jemma pulled the gift from behind her back and held it in front of him. “Just open it.”

A soft smile grew on his face, and he gave her a simple nod as he took the gift in his hands. Jemma settled onto the sofa beside him, her hands fidgeting in her lap, and watched impatiently as he turned the gift over in his hands.

“I can tell you wrapped it. No one lines up the paper this perfectly.”

“I said _open_ it.”

“Alright, alright.”

At last, he untied the ribbon and carefully slid his finger underneath the wrapping. When he finally pulled out the CD case, he cradled it in his hands, and Jemma nearly forgot to breathe.

“Huh,” he said softly as his lip curled upwards. He then opened the trifold case to reveal the painted winter landscape on the inside. “Oh, wow.”

“See,” she said, pointing toward the case. “I made it. Not as tech savvy as your gadgets at the store, but I still...uh. I still picked out the songs.” She reached forward and flipped the case over the reveal the track list. Watching him carefully as he read through the song titles, Jemma resisted the urge to snatch the gift from him and explain herself, but she could see him biting his bottom lip and grinning widely, so she forced herself to sit still.

“When did you make this?” he asked after turning his head towards her.

She shrugged shyly. “A few weeks ago. I was going to give it to you before I left for Sheffield. I know how much you hate those cheery Christmas songs they always play in the store, so I thought this would give you a bit of a break.”

He nodded as his smile continued to grow, and then looked back down at the gift in his lap. As he held it up to examine it more closely, Jemma noticed how his thumb was tracing over the place where she had signed her name.

“This is…” he trailed off, but only to look up to meet her eyes. “This is really nice.”

“Good.” She took in a breath, and then exhaled slowly. “There’s more.”

Fitz tilted his head. “More?”

“Well, I mean…” She closed her eyes as she tried to find the right words. “I had this… plan, if you will.” Suddenly overcome with embarrassment, she covered her face with her hands. “Ugh, it was silly.”

“No, hey.” She heard him protest, and then felt him pulling at her arms to lower her hands. “I’m sure it wasn’t,” he insisted, his hand now cradling her wrist in her lap.

At his sudden contact, Jemma’s heart began to race as a warmth bloomed inside her chest. Closing her eyes, she nodded and took a deep breath before looking up to find his eyes. “I was going to give it to you and then leave for England. And while I was gone, I was hoping that would give you enough time to listen to it and figure out...” She paused for a moment to choose her words carefully, but her attention was brought to her hand as she felt Fitz move his thumb across her skin. She swallowed hard before continuing, now keeping her gaze on her lap through her nerves. “Enough time for you to figure out how I was feeling. About us. I realize now that’s quite a roundabout way of telling someone how you feel.”

His thumb was still making sweeping motions, and somehow, as she was explaining her plan, he had managed to move closer to her on the sofa. Gently, he nudged her side with his elbow. “And how do you feel?”

She bit back a smile as he then took her hand fully in his. “I want to spend more time with you outside the department store,” she whispered.

“Like this?”

She nodded, and then met his eyes. “Yeah, like this.” She watched as a patient smile filled his face, almost as if he knew there was more that she wanted to say. And after taking in another deep breath, she squeezed his hand, holding on for comfort and strength. “And maybe… not as _just_ friends,” she finally clarified.

Her heart was near bursting out of her chest once she realized that everything was finally out in the air, and she watched as he seemed to slowly register what she just said. Jemma held her breath as she awaited his response, but quickly let it out when she realized that he was trying to hold back laughter. “What is it?” she asked urgently.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“What?”

“Been trying to find a way to say basically that for, well, a _while_.”

“Really?” Jemma let herself openly laugh with him, bringing her hand up to her lips. “I’m sorry. It’s not you. I was just so nervous about this whole thing, and then so many things felt like they were going wrong. My flight got cancelled, and then I saw you with that girl Daisy and, ugh, I know I was being ridiculous.”

“Daisy? Oh God, no, she’s just a friend—“

“I know, Fitz,” she reassured him, pulling on his forearm. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”

As she felt herself nearly beaming at him, his face suddenly grew more serious. “I’m sorry though. I should have been straightforward with you sooner.”

“Me too. I hate to think about all that time wasted.”

“I was nervous, too. That’s actually what Daisy was teasing me about today – how long I’ve been dragging my feet about this. About a lot of things. Especially, well, stay here.”

“Fitz, what—“

He was already making his way behind the sofa before she could finish, and Jemma listened as he seemed to unzip his backpack before pulling something free. A few seconds later, he reappeared carrying something she didn’t expect – the gift box he’d asked her to wrap just hours ago.

Sliding in next to her on the sofa, he sighed. “I know it’s not Christmas day for another hour or so, but I can’t wait any longer.”

Nearly stunned, Jemma pulled her lips in, and then chuckled lightly. “I thought this was for someone else.”

Fitz looked down for a short moment before meeting her eyes again with a softer expression. “It was always for you.”

Jemma’s mouth twisted into a smile, unable to contain her delight. The box was, of course, wrapped to perfection, but for once, she didn’t care about the wrapping. Instead, she quickly untied the ribbon and tore at the paper, only pausing for a moment to admire how he’d personalized the gift tag, her name somehow looking more remarkable in his handwriting. Once the box was free of its wrappings, she swiftly lifted off the top, eager to discover its contents, but her fingers froze on the edge once she realized what was inside. Nestled within a bed of packing peanuts was a small snow globe, no more than six centimeters in diameter, the fake snow and glitter already swirling around underneath the glass.

“Wow, Fitz,” she uttered faintly as she felt a lump begin to form in the back of her throat.

“I was going to give it to you right before you left that way you could bring it home with you. To replace the one that broke.”

Jemma’s breath caught her in throat at his last word.

She didn’t think much of that day – the one when all the department store employees were in the break room talking about their favorite holiday memories. As they went around the room each taking a turn, Jemma could only focus on one memory, or object as it were. The small snow globe her father had given her when she was only six years old had always been her favorite Christmas decoration. It wasn’t anything special – it was small and fairly inexpensive. But instead of Santa’s sleigh, at the center of the winter scene encased in glass was a spaceship. Unfortunately, one of their cats had leapt onto the mantle and knocked the poor thing off, shattering it into a million pieces. Jemma was devastated, but knew it was silly to get so attached to something so small. And yet, here she was twelve years later staring at a near replica, and she couldn’t help her eyes from welling up.

“How did you… How did you remember that?” she managed to ask, keeping her head down so he couldn’t see her eyes.

“I don’t know, it just stuck with me. Everyone else was talking about some toy they got, and all you could talk about was that snow globe.”

Now cradling the globe between her hands, she recalled all the moments in the store when Fitz had caught her staring at the snow globes on display. He could have purchased any one of those and she would have been pleased, but instead, he managed to do so much more. No longer able to keep her emotions in, she reached up to wipe her cheek with her sleeve, and Fitz immediately leaned forward.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would upset you.”

“What, no, Fitz. It’s-it’s perfect. You made this, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, well, it’s not the easiest to find, as I reckon you know. It actually turned out better than I expected.”

She nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it did.” The snow and glitter was now settled at the bottom, so she gave the globe a little shake, sweeping her thumb across the glass as she took in the beautiful sight. “Thank you,” she whispered as she looked up. “Not just for this, but for…” She gestured towards the tree and the rest of the decorations, knowing he would understand her meaning. But words weren’t enough to express her gratitude, so after setting the snow globe down on the coffee table, she lurched forward and flung her arms around his neck, molding herself into him. Fitz seemed to anticipate her sudden embrace as his arms wrapped fully around her, his hand finding its way to her hair. Breathing him in, the familiar scent sparking goosebumps to appear on her skin, she felt him take a deep breath into her hair, so she tightened her hold around him even more, wishing to never let go.

When she finally pulled back just enough to see his face and wiped her fingers across her cheeks, she let out a sigh and smiled widely. “Okay, enough tears. How about we pick a movie?”

“But shouldn’t we play it?”

“What?”

Keeping an arm around her waist, he pointed to where he’d left his gift on the table. Jemma nearly laughed at herself for completely forgetting about the CD, too distracted by their now open feelings for each other and her own surprise gift from Fitz.

“Oh,” she said simply. “If you want to.”

At that, he went to his bedroom to fetch his laptop, his lack of a stereo system clearly not stopping him from hearing the mix she’d prepared with such care. When he returned, he pulled out the CD, Jemma taking notice at how careful he was to not disrupt the case.

“It won’t be the best sound quality, but…” he explained before pressing play, but Jemma pulled his hand into her lap, telling him not to worry about it.

The first note of the peaceful yet familiar tune filled the once quiet apartment, and Jemma watched Fitz’s expression closely as he listened. Much to her delight, instead of scoffing or rolling his eyes at the sound of a holiday melody as he often did in the store, Fitz couldn’t keep a soft smile from filling his face as the song moved into its first verse. A matching smile grew on Jemma’s face, overcome with pride that she’d managed to find music he actually enjoyed. But instead of quietly listening to the song as Jemma had anticipated he would, after hearing the first few bars, he suddenly got up from the sofa and pulled on her hand.

“Come on, then,” he urged. Jemma furrowed her brow in confusion, but then Fitz moved to stand beside the Christmas tree, placed his arms in a slow dance position, and motioned for her to join him.

“ _Fitz_.”

“I said come on – before I embarrass myself. And don’t tell me you didn’t think the first song wasn’t the perfect tempo for slow dancing.”

His smile was near contagious now, so she gave in to his pleading and joined him near the tree, squeezing his hands before curling an arm around his shoulder. “Okay, I won’t say it never crossed my mind,” she admitted, “but good on you for noticing.”

Her hand rested in his as he took the lead, pulling her in close as they took their first steps to the music. The delicate acoustic arrangement sent them into an easy sway, and Jemma felt a new thrill sweep through her stomach. As his hand found its way to the small of her back, sending a slight chill up her spine, Jemma couldn’t keep her eyes off him, almost seeing him in an entirely new light. After so much time spent dragging their feet and missed opportunities to take this leap, she didn’t want to miss a single second of this thrilling moment.

Near the end of the first chorus, he caught her staring, and a slight flush spread across his cheeks. Sensing his slight nerves, Jemma leaned forward to press her forehead to his temple. “I would hardly call this embarrassing yourself,” she whispered. “You seem to know exactly what you’re doing.”

Fitz scoffed. “Please. Don’t expect me to spin you.”

She let out a soft giggle as she settled more comfortably in his hold. “Did you really not have any plans for tonight?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Nah, I could have gone to that party at Hunter’s but… they’re not as fun as they seem.”

Jemma nodded in agreement and was about to shower him in many more thanks for spending his evening with her, but she noticed his face growing more serious, so she held her tongue to let him continue.

After a slight shrug, he let out a small sigh. “And I also didn’t plan anything because… the only person I really wanted to spend it with was heading back to England.”

Despite everything he’d already done for her that night – the tree, her gift, and now the slow dancing – somehow, his words made her heart swell even more. And although a part of her would always be disappointed that she couldn’t make it home for Christmas, that pain nearly washed away completely when she realized she had a different sort of home right in front of her.

Before she became too overcome with her feelings, she let herself melt into him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as she closed the distance between them. The first song eventually faded out, but that didn’t stop them from dancing through a second and third, the music continuing to fill the apartment with holiday tunes even Fitz seemed to enjoy.

When their feet finally grew tired, they settled back onto the sofa and picked a Christmas dramedy to watch as they embraced the final moments before the holiday officially began. Fitz was surprisingly quiet on the sofa, gently cradling her hand in his while his other arm draped over shoulder. The clock was quickly approaching midnight, and as they neared the end of the film, Jemma twisted around in Fitz’s hold to rest her head on his shoulder. “Can I ask you something?” she said quietly into his neck.

“Sure,” he replied, his voice soft as his chin rested against the top of her head.

Looking up, she met his eyes. “What are you doing New Year’s Eve?”

For a moment, he just stared down at her, his gaze soft as the twinkling lights from the tree reflected off his features, but then his expression twisted into something almost mischievous. Pulling in his lips as he seemed to stifle his laughter, he shook his head slowly. “Is Jemma Simmons quoting her own mix CD to get some on New Year’s?” he finally asked before playfully poking her in the ribs.

Jemma let out a slight shriek before swatting him in the chest in retaliation. “What? No!” she exclaimed, smiling despite herself. “That’s not what I—I mean, yes. Technically, that _is_ one of the songs, but I’m being serious.” She could feel her cheeks burning up, but Fitz encouraged her to settle back against his shoulder with a silent promise to cease his teasing. “What _are_ you doing?” she asked again.

His mouth twisted to the side as he considered her question. “Well, I usually go to this massive rager Hunter throws every year, but I always end up getting stuck cleaning up the mess the next day. So, not quite killer plans by any means.”

Leaning in closer, she began to trace her finger along the patterned design of his jumper. “Maybe…” she said, “it wouldn’t be so bad if you had someone to help you.”

Fitz raised his eyebrows and smiled. “I think that would make it almost enjoyable,” he agreed.

“It’s a date, then.”

With the promise of ringing in the new year together, Jemma settled back into the sofa as the night grew quiet. But no more than a few moments later, despite their attempt to focus on finishing the film, Fitz suddenly squeezed Jemma’s arm, so she craned her neck to find his eyes once more.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Are you going to make me wait for New Year’s?”

Jemma tilted her head in confusion. “For what?”

But upon seeing a slight twinkle in his eye and his lip curling up just a hair, it only took Jemma a moment to realize exactly what he was after. Feeling a new confidence stirring within her, she found herself leaning forward to place her hand along his jaw and closing the distance between them before she captured his lips with hers. She moved at an achingly slow pace, tasting a hint of peppermint on his lips, and as she moved her hand to the nape of his neck, he inhaled sharply, melting into her.

Her heart hammered inside her chest, and at the feeling of Fitz pulling her in closer to deepen their kiss, a warmth bloomed inside her that she’d never felt before. Kissing her best friend had always been high on her wish list since realizing her true feelings for him, but she could have never anticipated the softness of his lips or how he would follow her movements in perfect sync.

Soon, their kisses became more and more heated as Fitz guided her into his lap, his hands and lips exploring previously untouched places – the skin just above her hip where her jumper had crept up through her movements, the underside of her jaw. And even though he was so familiar to her, from the way his eyes grew bright at his happiest moments to the feeling of his hand holding hers, she welcomed the countless new details about him she never dreamed she’d have the opportunity to discover.

Before getting carried away, knowing full well she could continue to kiss him senseless for the rest of the night, Jemma gently pulled away, letting her thumb sweep tenderly across Fitz’s cheek and finally giving in to the smile she’d been holding onto since their lips met.  

After catching his breath, Fitz’s eyes crinkled through his own smile, and he let out a single chuckle. “Well, I guess that answers my question.”

Bursting into a fit of laughter, Jemma collapsed on top of him, muffling her giggles into his neck. As Fitz rubbed his hand up and down her back, she could feel his heart continuing to pound inside his chest. When she recovered, she pushed herself up to meet his eyes. “I have a feeling there will be many more before the year ends,” she said, her thumb now tracing the outline of his lips.

Fitz raised his eyebrow in question, so Jemma shook her head in shameless joy before diving in once more.

They didn’t make it through the second film, too distracted by a combination of banter and kissing to make up for lost time, and before Jemma knew it, Fitz was already softly snoring against the armrest of the sofa. She quietly switched off the film to call it a night, but before settling back onto Fitz’s chest, she caught sight of her snow globe on the table. Carefully, she reached forward to give it a final shake, the glitter and swirling snowflakes making her heart sing, and the spaceship reminding her of the magic that often came with the holiday season.

Despite not being on English soil, in that moment, Jemma felt more at home than ever. As she felt the steady rise and fall of Fitz’s chest and her eyes drifted shut, her mind raced through all the surprisingly wonderful memories she’d acquired over the last few hours.  It almost didn’t feel real – how her night had transformed into a Christmas filled with the most joyous of things – an extravagant tree, a snow globe that reminded her home, and her favorite person.

The music was still playing quietly in the corner of the living room, almost as a whisper of a lullaby to help them welcome some much-needed slumber before Christmas morning.  Curling herself around him on the sofa, her ear now resting against his heart, Jemma revelled in how – like the snowflakes falling outside, each one finding its rightful home – the missing pieces of their relationship had finally fallen into place. As she tightened her hold around her best friend and now partner in conquering whatever the new year had in store, she couldn’t believe this was only the beginning.

 

 

\-----

 

 

And when he woke the next morning – Jemma’s breath tickling his neck as she clutched onto his collar, her peaceful expression providing him more warmth than the blanket draped over their tangled limbs – he couldn’t believe it either.  

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I would love to hear from you guys in comments, and I hope you all had a lovely holiday season! And for fun, here are some easter eggs/extras, because why not?
> 
> The title comes from track 9 - Sleeping at Last's _Snow_ \- of Jemma's holiday mix.
> 
> The movie they're watching before Jemma asks about New Year's is _The Family Stone_ (which happens to be my favorite movie of _all time_.) In the movie, Rachel McAdams' character gets an unexpected gift from her love interest. That gift? A snow globe, of course. 
> 
> You can also find a few references to this story while listening to the playlist (hint: listen closely to tracks 3 and 10).
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, thanks again for reading! You can always find me on tumblr at [whatlighttasteslike](http://whatlighttasteslike.tumblr.com).
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> <3


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